POSITIVE EFFECTS OF ENTERTAINMENT
TECHNOLOGY ON HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
1. INTRODUCTION
This paper focuses on users’ growing use of entertainment technology at
Work, in school and at home, and the impact of this technology on their behaviour.
Nearly every working and living place has computers, and over
two-thirds of children in high industrialized countries have computers in
their homes as well. All of us would probably agree that adults and
children (normal, impaired and disabled) need to become competent users to
be prepared for life and work in the future. Especially children’s growing use
of entertainment technologies brings with it both the risk of possible harm
and the promise of enriched learning, well-being and positive development.
Entertainment technology covers a broad range of products and services:
movie, music, TV (including upcoming interactive TV), VCR, VOD (including
music on demand), computer game, game console, video arcade, gambling
machine, internet (e.g. chat room, board and card games, MUD), intelligent
toy, edutainment, simulation, VR, and upcoming service robots
.
2. meta review APPROACH
The Essay on Technology and Television Child Obesity
... the obesity of today?s children. This technology has substituted normal childhood play exercises with computer games that take less physical ... watching?(Monmaney). The television brings the child?s imagination to life, giving them entertainment to do without the running ... shooting hoops or flying a kite. The game cartridge provides cheap entertainment with very little fitness involved. "Ross ...
This paper presents the preliminary results of a literature search and review.
We searched for the following keywords (context specific in different
combinations): ‘academic achievement, altruism, ANOVA, attainment, children,
computer, education, edutainment, entertainment, gamble, game, meta
analysis, PDF, performance, pet, positive effect, religion, robot, school record,
review, survey, technology, therapy, user study, video’, using the following
search engines/databases: ‘ACM Digital Library, IEEE Computer
Society Digital Library, Internet via Google, ISI web of science, Kluwer
online, LookSmart, Prenctice Hall, Science Direct, Scirus for scientific information,
SpringerLink, Wiley interScience’. We could find, select and
process 393 online available publications (e.g. DOC, RTF, PDF or HTML
format) according the following categories: meta review (N=34), meta
analysis (N=13), literature review (N=38), literature survey (N=36), empirical
study (N=91), survey study (N=44), design study (N=91), any other
document (N=46) (for a complete reference list see [27]).
The preliminary
and selective results presented in this paper summarize research so far available
on how the use of entertainment technology affects human’s daily life
in a positive and promising manner.
3. GENERAL REMARKS
It has to be pointed out that addiction, racism, sexism, violence, etc are
not new inventions of the entertainment and game industry and would not
disappear from the world, where games abolished. They should better be
seen as a reflection of underlying dimensions of a society or culture into
economical and social accepted artifacts [6]. In this respect a criticism of
games can not be separated from a fundamental critique of the society which
produce, accept and promote these games. It could be shown [35] that misunderstanding
is endemic in the Western culture because most of the Western
societies tend to believe that the best way to a common goal is by rigorous
and often aggressive dispute. There for a lot confrontational public forums
The Essay on Impact of computer games on study habits
Abstract: Internationally there is concern about levels of student absenteeism. Researchunderpinning this article consisted of a survey of academic staff and 25 interviews withfirst year students in a well regarded "new" university in Britain. The article explores theissue of poor attendance and why a significant number of students seem to have difficultyin engaging fully with their studies in ...
are established, from congressional politics to media hearings. Tannen
[35] argues that thoughtful debate and real understanding gets lost in all
Positive Effects of Entertainment Technology on Human Behaviour
53
these disputes. She suggests to consider other methods of communication
and offers a survey of mostly non-Western ways of dealing with conflict,
including the use of intermediaries and rituals.
It is our responsibility as researchers, engineers, politicians, parents and
educators to pay attention to all relevant issues, and to discuss them in the
proper context of references and values, so that entertainment industry can
be enabled to make correct choices for their future developments (see e.g.
[2] [11] [23]).
How can we get an appropriate orientation, given the fact that
controversial discussions take place (see [1] [7] [13] [14] [32])?
4. RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 EFFECTS IN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
Play: People who have been allowed and encouraged to play stand the
best chance of becoming healthy, happy and productive members of society
[33]. Some positive aspects of playing can promote literacy, thinking, reflecting
and creativity [16] [31].
General development: Games require the use of logic, memory, problem
solving and critical thinking skills, visualization and discovery [34].
Their use requires that players manipulate objects using electronic tools and
develop an understanding of the game as a complex system. Play is an effective
teaching strategy both inside and outside school. According to Goldstein
“more than 40 studies concludes that play enhances early development by at
least 33%” [36]. Play with games and toys are an important part of child development
to acquire a variety of skills for life, such as motor-coordination,
social and cognitive skills [15]. As societies become increasingly concerned
about the physical and psychological well-being of children, the value of
playing and learning is getting crucial [22]. Players can progress from newcomer
to expert, in particular in belonging to a social system [11].
The Essay on Effect of Playing Computer Games among Pupils
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Today computer games have become a popular source of entertainment especially to the younger generation. Computer games are even now having their own worldwide professional gaming league. This has proved that nowadays the society worldwide has accepted computer games seriously. The popularity of computer games has also inspired numerous researches being conducted to study ...
Teaching: If computer games are to become part of educational settings,
it is crucial to question existing stereotypes and to ensure that the culture of
games players in education conforms to neither [13]. It is teachers’ stereotypes
that resist change and not people; therefore, by interrogating conceptions
of these stereotypes it is possible to avoid falling into the error of believing
them to be exclusive descriptors of games players [11].
Academic performance: In a research program the use of electronic
communication and games with children was investigated in both classroom
and after-school settings for nearly 15 years [9]. The after-school programs
was called “The Fifth Dimension”, and include the typical uses of home
computers, such as educational software, computer games, searching the
54 Matthias Rauterberg
Internet, and multi-user dungeons (MUD) activities. Subject matter includes
social development, geography, communications, reading, writing, math,
social studies, health, technology, language, and problem solving. The computer
games and Internet activities are based in a social and cognitive context
that includes a ladder of challenges [25]. This research program effects
include advances in reading [31] and mathematics [8] [10], computer knowledge,
following directions, grammar and school achievement tests [9].
A considerable body of research has examined the effects of computer
use on academic performance. Reviews of this literature typically conclude
that the results are preliminary (e.g., [29], [33]).
Although benefits of computer
use have been observed, they typically depend on a variety of factors
(mainly on context of use and content).
The only positive cognitive effect
have been consistently observed is visual-spatial skills. Gaming in 2D or 3D
applications contributes to visual-spatial skills, at least when these skills are
assessed immediately after the computer activity [34].
4.2 EFFECTS ON SOCIAL BEHAVOUR
Collaboration: Collaborative game playing necessitates the development
of social skills, for example in order to decide on, define and agree goals. All
The Homework on Effects Of Computer Games To Grade 7 Students
* Educational Benefits Several studies have reported that computer games provide educational opportunities that students might not receive in a traditional schooling system. Verbal skills, spatial awareness, multitasking and problem-solving are all skills that are seen to be boosted by computer games. * Health Benefits A study by researchers at the Nottingham University has shown that certain ...
of these features should be usefully incorporated into next generation of
computer games that will support positive effects on the social and intellectual
development of the users. In a meta-analysis study [17] 122 empirical
studies on the effect of competition on result of players’ improvement are
reviewed. This meta-analysis included every study that could be found on
achievement in (a) co-operative, (b) competitive and/or (c) individualistic
tasks (not only games and play).
65 studies found that (a) co-operation tasks
promotes higher achievement than (b) competitive tasks, 8 found the reverse,
and 36 found no statistically significant difference. Co-operation tasks promoted
higher achievement than (c) individualistic tasks in 108 studies, while
6 found the reverse, and 42 found no difference. The superiority of cooperation
could be justified for higher achievement for all subject areas and
all age groups [17] (see also [18]).
Prosocial behaviour: The results of a meta analysis about positive effects
of television on social behaviour indicate clearly that prosocial content
of entertainment technology does have positive effects as follows [20]: “(1)
Children exposed to prosocial content have more positive social interactions,
show more altruistic behavior and self-control, and have less stereotyped
views of others. (2) The strongest effects of prosocial content were found for
measures of altruism. (3) Relying on children’s ability to pick out the moral
messages from programs which feature violence or conflict and some prosocial
resolution may backfire, leading to more aggression than merely showing
the conflict. (4) Effects of prosocial content are often strongest when
Positive Effects of Entertainment Technology on Human Behaviour
55
viewing is combined with discussion. (5) The effect sizes overall ranged
from small to medium. (6) Effects of prosocial content were strongest for
pre-school and grade-school children, diminishing in adolescence. (7) Effects
The Report on Children Effect on Technology
Excessive playing of video games can cause decreased communication skills, psychological disturbances and increased aggressive behavior, deterioration in health and poor academic performance in children. The negative effects of poor communication skills by excessive playing of video games was investigated to observe and analyse the consequences on children. The effects on social interaction, ...
are somewhat stronger for girls than for boys” (p. 19).
In a more recent
literature review the following results are presented [34]: (1) “game playing
did not impact the social network and characteristics of interactions among
children” (p. 17); (2) “socially anxious and lonely people find more honest
and intimate human relationships with others on the Internet than in the real
world, and they tend to successfully integrate these online relationships into
their offline lives” (p. 20).
Recommendations: Cole’s results [9] indicate that well designed computer
games and Internet activities for home use can have a lasting positive
impact on children’s academic performance. The design of entertainment
product should focus on prosocial and altruistic content (e.g. Tamagotchi [4],
Robota [3], Kismet [5], Affect-Support Agent [19]).
Based on the results of
Johnson’s meta-analysis co-operative entertainment systems are strongly
recommended [17]. The results of an experimental study show that separated
audio communication line per team should be provided to increase cooperation
among team members [26].
4.3 THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS
Health Care: The introduction of the ‘mental commit’ robot pet Paro in
a hospital environment showed promising results: the mood of children and
elderly patients could be positively changed [23]. Turnin et al [38] could find
a positive influence of a computer game on 2000 children for nutritional
teaching. “In conclusion, it is possible for children to learn good eating habits
by playing computer games” (p. 239).
Hyperactivity: Early research suggests that active play may reduce impulsivity
thereby helping children with attention deficit and hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD, see [37]).
Goldstein concludes [14] that play is of fundamental
importance to children, but it is not always recognized and fully appreciated
by adults and society. Playing is fun and contributes to children’s
The Term Paper on Development Of Computers And Technology
Computers in some form are in almost everything these days. From Toasters to Televisions, just about all electronic things has some form of processor in them. This is a very large change from the way it used to be, when a computer that would take up an entire room and weighed tons of pounds has the same amount of power as a scientific calculator. The changes that computers have undergone in the ...
happiness, but it is also vital to their health and well-being.
Phobia: Using a low-cost commercial computer game VR application
with head mounted display applied to phobic and non-phobic persons resulted
in a sufficient amount of immersion and presence for the phobic patients
to be useful for therapeutic settings [28].
Recommendations: “The phobogenic effectiveness of the inexpensive
hardware and software used in this study shows that VR technology is sufficiently
advanced for VR exposure therapy to move into the clinical mainstream”
([28] p. 475).
The authors conclude that low cost, therapeutic VR
applications based on desktop VR games are superior to their expensive
56 Matthias Rauterberg
commercial counterparts. Mental commit robots and computer games with
proper content have positive health effects as well.
5. CONCLUSIONS
So far, two main conclusions can be drawn: (1) not the technology in its
self, but the content of the product or service really matters, (2) the context
of use is almost as important as the content. If the content and the context of
use is properly designed, positive effects on the users can be achieved. The
following contents and contexts of use can maximize positive effects on human
behaviour of different age (children, adults, elderly): prosocial content,
game like computer aided instructions/learning application, and robot pets in
a multi-user, collaborative, educative or therapeutic setting.
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